"But how have you made your way back, ahead of the army?" Hotspur
asked, after Oswald had given him full information as to the military
operations.
"Roger and I were left for dead, in that fight I have told you of, near
Llanidloes; and we fell into the hands of the Welsh, and were taken
before Glendower, who treated us well, and put me to ransom, with the
engagement that I was not again to bear arms, in Wales."
"That was a strange leniency, on his part," Hotspur exclaimed; "for I
hear he puts to the sword all who fall into his hands, without any
regard for the rules of civilized war."
"He is a strange man, Sir Henry, and subject, I fancy, to changeable
moods. When I was brought before him he was in a happy one, over the
success he had gained; and it may be that he took a liking for me. At
any rate, he fixed my ransom at a very small sum."
"Which I will, of course, pay," Hotspur said, "since you were my
squire, and were at Ludlow on my service."
"I thank you much, Sir Henry, but 'tis so small a sum that I myself
discharged it, without difficulty."
"'Tis strange, most strange, that you should have gone into the lion's
den, and have come out unscathed. Strange, indeed, that Glendower, who,
as we know, is greatly in want of money, should have fixed your ransom
at a low sum. How much was it, Sir Oswald?"
"I will tell you the story, Sir Henry, though I would tell no one else;
for my freedom is due to something that happened, nigh two years ago,
when I was first with Sir Edmund Mortimer. I failed in what was my
strict duty, although I disobeyed no orders that I had received, and my
conscience altogether acquits me of wrong."
"You may be sure, Sir Oswald, that the matter will go no further; and
knowing you as I do, I feel sure that, whatever the matter was, it was
not to your discredit."
"So I trust, myself, my lord; but it might have cost me my head, had
the king come to know it. I will first tell you that my ransom was
fixed at a crown, and that of Roger at a penny."
Hotspur, who had been looking a little grave, laughed.
"Surely never before was so much bone and sinew appraised at so small a
sum."
"It was so put, simply that I might, with truth, avow that I was put to
ransom. However, I paid the crown and the penny, and have so discharged
my obligations.
"This was how the matter came about;" and he related the whole
circumstances to Sir Henry; and the manner in which the little chain,
given to him by Glendower's daughter, had been the means of saving his
life.
"I blame you in no way, Sir Oswald," Hotspur said cordially, when he
had heard the story; "though I say not that the king would have viewed
the matter in the same light. Still, you held to the letter of your
orders. You were placed there to give warning of the approach of any
hostile body, and naught was said to you as to letting any man, still
less any women, depart from the place. But indeed, how could I blame
you? Since heaven itself has assoiled you. For assuredly it was not
chance that placed on your arm the little trinket that, alone, could
have saved your life from the Welsh.
"Now to yourself, Sir Oswald. You will, I hope, continue my knight, as
you have been my squire."
"Assuredly, Sir Henry, I have never thought of anything else."
"Very well, then; I will, as soon as may be, appoint to you a double
knight's feu. I say a double feu, because I should like to have you as
one of the castle knights, and so have much larger service from you,
than that which a knight can be called upon to render, for an ordinary
feu. I will bid Father Ernulf look through the rolls, and see what feus
are vacant. One of these I will make an hereditary feu, to pass down
from you to your heirs, irrevocably; the other will be a service feu,
to support the expenses caused by your extra services, and revocable
under the usual conditions."
A week later there was a formal ceremonial at the castle, and in the
presence of the earl, Hotspur, and the knights and gentlemen of their
service, Oswald took the oath of allegiance to Sir Henry Percy; and
afterwards, as required by law, to the king; and received from Hotspur
deeds appointing him to two knight's feus, including the villages of
Stoubes and Rochester, in Reddesdale. There were, at the time, six
knight's feus vacant; and as Percy had left it to him to choose which
he liked, he had selected these, as they lay but a twelve miles' ride,
over the hills, from his father's place in Coquetdale.
The oath of allegiance to the king, as well as to the feudal lord, was
enacted by Henry the Second; with the intention of curbing, to some
extent, the power of the great vassals; but although taken by all
knights, on being presented with a feu, it was deemed of no effect in
the case of the immediate lord being at war with the king; and whenever
troubles arose, the lord's vassals always sided with him, it being
universally understood that the oath to him, from whom they had
received their land, was paramount over that to the king.
There having been several formalities to be observed, and matters to be
discussed, Oswald was unable to ride home until after this ceremony had
taken place; but upon the following morning he and Roger started early,
and arrived, that evening, at Yardhope. His welcome was a warm one, and
the satisfaction of his father, and the delight of his mother, at
seeing him in knightly armour was great, indeed; and it increased when
he told them that he had received knighthood at the hands of the king
himself, and that Hotspur had granted him the feus of Stoubes and
Rochester.
"Then we shall have you within a ride of us," his mother exclaimed.
"That will be pleasant, indeed."
"The feus have always gone together," John Forster said, "and Stoubes
castle, although small, is a strong one. How many tenants will you
have?"
"Twenty-three. That, at least, was the number of names set down in the
parchments."
"That is not bad, as a beginning. Of course, you will keep some ten or
twelve retainers in the castle; and with such men as will come in from
the villages, at the approach of danger, you will be able to muster
fifty or sixty in all for the defence."
"I shall live chiefly at Alnwick, Father. Rochester is given to me as
an hereditary feu, but I shall hold Stoubes for extra service at the
castle; and I have little doubt that Percy will, if I do him good
service, make it also hereditary. He as much as said so."
"It will make a good portion, lad. Yardhope is a knight's feu, though I
have never taken up the knighthood; and the Percys know that I should
fight just as stoutly, as John Forster, as if I wore knightly armour;
but though the lands are wide they are poor, while yours are fertile,
lying down by the river. Moreover, Coquetdale is more liable to Scotch
incursions than Reddesdale, as the road into Scotland runs along it. If
needs be we can lend a hand to each other; though, both together, we
could not hold either your place or mine against a strong invasion.
"Now, tell us how it was that you won your spurs; and how it was that
the king, himself, knighted you."
"After I have eaten and drank I will do so, Father; for indeed, Roger
and I are well-nigh famishing."
After the meal, he related the whole story of his adventures.
"Well, lad, you were in luck," his father said, when he had finished.
"The help you gave those maidens might have brought your head to the
block; but it turned out well, and was the saving of your life, so I
will say nought against the deed; especially as you owed no allegiance
either to Mortimer or to Talbot, and were, save for the orders that
Hotspur had given you, your own master."
Two days later, having sent over, on the morning after his arrival, a
message to the tenants to present themselves at Stoubes to take their
oaths to him, Oswald, accompanied by his father, rode into Reddesdale.
He found the castle a much stronger place than Yardhope, which was but
a fortified house; while this was a moated building, with strong walls
and flanking towers, and a keep that could be held successfully, even
if the walls were captured by a sudden assault.
At twelve o'clock the tenants assembled. Oswald read to them the two
parchments, and they then took the oaths to him. They were well
satisfied to have a young knight as their lord; for the feus had been
held by a minor, who had died two years before; and had not been at the
castle since he was taken away, as a child, to be brought up at the
town of Alnwick, where he had remained under the eye of the Percys. It
had long been understood, however, that the feu would not be granted to
him; for he was weakly from his birth, and wholly unfitted for the
charge of a castle, so near the Scottish border.
According to feudal usage, each tenant expected that he would be called
upon to pay a heavy sum, under the name of a relief, as was customary
in the case of a new lord taking possession; and they were greatly
relieved when Oswald told them that, as he already possessed armour and
horses, he would quit them for a fourth part of the usual amount;
although he should, of course, require their services to enable him to
repair such dilapidations as the castle had suffered, during the long
term that it had stood empty.
For the next three months, he stayed in Stoubes. Roger had been sent
off at once, with two men-at-arms, to bring the horses and armour that
had been left at Welshpool; bearing a letter to the governor from
Oswald, thanking him much for having taken care of them, and saying
briefly that he had been left on the field for dead, after the fight
near Llanidloes; but had recovered, and been well treated by Glendower,
who had put him to ransom. He took money with him, to pay the expenses
for the keep of the horses; and returned, with them and the armour,
after an absence of three weeks.
Passing through Worcester on his way back, he had, at Oswald's order,
purchased for himself clothes suitable for his position as an esquire.
As for armour, it had been arranged that he should have it made for him
at Alnwick, as it would be difficult to obtain a suit sufficiently
large for him.
At the end of the three months the necessary repairs to the castle were
finished. The gates had been greatly strengthened with thick bands of
iron, the moat cleared out, and at various points the defences had been
strengthened. The small amount of furniture then deemed necessary still
remained there and, where needful, had been repaired and put in good
order. Eight men-at-arms had been taken by Oswald into his service, and
a trusty man appointed as seneschal.
Then, after paying another visit to Yardhope, Oswald rode, with Roger
and two well-mounted men-at-arms, to Alnwick.
It was now April, and bad news had just arrived. Glendower had
commenced the campaign with great vigour, as the appearance of a comet
had been interpreted, by the bards, as an omen most favourable to him,
and his force had greatly increased during the winter. He had destroyed
the houses and strong places of all Welshmen who had not taken up arms
at his orders, and had closely blockaded Carnarvon. He marched to
Bangor, levelled the cathedral, and that of Saint Asaph, by fire, burnt
the episcopal palaces and canons' houses. So formidable did he become
that the king issued writs, to the lieutenants of no fewer than
thirty-four counties, to assemble their forces at Lichfield, to crush
Glendower.
The latter had now taken the offensive, and advanced towards Hereford,
and carried fire and sword through Mortimer's lands. Sir Edmund
gathered his own and his nephew's tenants and retainers, from
Herefordshire and Radnorshire, and advanced against Glendower. The
armies met on the 22nd of June, 1402, at a short distance from
Knighton. The battle was obstinately fought, but was decided by the
desertion of the Welsh tenants, and by the Welsh bowmen in Mortimer's
service turning their bows against his men-at-arms; and, finally, the
English were defeated, with the loss of eleven hundred men, Sir Edmund
himself being made a prisoner.
After the battle the Welsh behaved with the greatest savagery; killing
all the wounded, stripping the fallen, and horribly mutilating their
bodies. The news created great excitement at Alnwick and, had not the
situation in the north been critical, Percy would have gathered his
forces and marched, with all speed, to avenge the defeat and capture of
his brother-in-law.
The Earl of Dunbar, with many of the tenants of his former estates, and
numbers of the English borderers, had entered Scotland and carried out
considerable raids. In revenge for this, Douglas despatched Thomas
Halliburton and Patrick Hepburn, each with a considerable force, to
invade Northumberland. Halliburton ravaged the country as far as
Bamborough, collected great spoils, and returned with them. Hepburn,
who had a still larger force, penetrated farther into England, carried
his ravages to within a few miles of Alnwick; and then retired north,
with an enormous amount of booty.
When, however, he had crossed the border into the country known as the
Merse, north of Berwick, the Earl of Dunbar fell upon him at West
Nesbit, and completely defeated him. Hepburn himself, with a large
number of his men, fell in the battle; and many important prisoners
were captured. This battle was fought on the same day that Glendower
defeated Mortimer.
The victory caused great exultation on the border; but Alwyn said to
his nephew:
"Although this is good, as far as it goes, Oswald, you may be sure that
Douglas will not brook this disaster with patience, but will gather the
Scottish forces; and we may expect him, ere long, at the head of twenty
thousand men, and we shall have a fight as stiff as that of Otterburn.
We shall have Northumberland ablaze, and you will see that the earl and
Hotspur will soon be preparing to meet the storm.
"These last forays took them by surprise; and, as lords of the marches,
they have suffered serious humiliation, for this victory was not
theirs, but the work of Dunbar; and had he not intercepted the Scots,
on their own side of the border, they would have returned, scatheless,
with the spoils of our northern districts. This disgrace will spur them
on to make great efforts, and these will be needed, or we shall see
Northumberland, Cumberland, and Durham in flames."
Alwyn was not mistaken. Messengers were sent off to all those holding
knights' feus, throughout the county, bidding them to prepare to answer
to the Percy's call; and to hold themselves, and their tenants, in
readiness to march to any point fixed upon for a general rendezvous.
They were to warn all the countryside that, directly news arrived that
the Scots were in motion, they were to drive their cattle and horses to
the nearest fortified town, or to take them to hiding places among the
hills. Everything of value was to be taken away, or hidden, so that the
enemy should find but empty houses.
Oswald rode to Yardhope, with the message to his father.
"I know, Father," he said, "that it needed not to warn you; but as it
was but a short distance out of my way to come round here, I thought
that I would pay you a day's visit."
"No, lad; directly I heard of the victory of Dunbar, I said to myself,
this will bring the Scots upon us in force. Douglas will never put up
with the defeat, and will make every effort to turn the tables. I shall
send all there is worth taking away, to a shepherd's hut among the
fells; and shall, as soon as I hear that Douglas's preparations are
well-nigh complete, journey with your mother to Alnwick, and leave her
there. I shall return, and with my men will drive the cattle and horses
to places where there is little chance of the Scots finding them; and
will then, after leaving three or four men to look after them, come
back to Alnwick.
"What do you propose to do?"
"I shall do much the same, Father. Stoubes is strong enough to hold out
against any ordinary raid, but not against an army led by Douglas. I
shall remove the furnishing and tapestry, and shall send the most
valuable into Alnwick, and have the rest of them hidden in the woods.
These are the orders that have been sent, all along the border. Any
whose places are so strong that they may well defend themselves, for
some time, are to gather all their neighbours there. The rest are to
repair to Alnwick, to join Percy's force.
"You see, there is no knowing where the storm may break. The Scots may
cross the Cheviots anywhere between Berwick and Carlisle; and, until
their movements are known, the earl and Hotspur must keep their forces
at Alnwick, in readiness to march wheresoever required.
"Hotspur has sent messengers down to the Midlands, to engage as many
archers as he can get. Of course, we have many here; but the borderers
are spearmen rather than archers, and it were well to strengthen our
force. Still, however large a force he may raise, we cannot hope to
check their first incursion. The whole country is open to them and, if
they enter near Carlisle, they may be in the heart of Cumberland, or
Durham, before we are fairly in motion. We may count, however, on
meeting them as they retire, if not before."
Oswald then rode to his own place, bade all the tenants prepare to ride
with him to Alnwick, at an hour's notice; and either to send their
women and children on there, as soon as it was known that the Scotch
army was gathering strongly on the border; or else to gather stores of
provisions, up in the hills, and to send the women and children there,
the moment word came that the Scots were on the move.
The news of Mortimer's defeat and capture had been received, by the
time Oswald returned to Alnwick.
"'Tis bad news, indeed," Percy said to him, "and I know that, as you
have been staying so long at Ludlow, you will be deeply grieved at the
misfortune that has befallen Mortimer. However, I doubt not that he
will soon be ransomed. I know that the king appointed a commission of
knights, to treat at once with Glendower for Lord Grey's ransom, and
has given orders for the raising of the great sum demanded. It is to be
gathered from a tax on church properties, and in other ways; and
doubtless he will do the same for Mortimer, whose lands have been so
harried, by the Welsh, that it will be impossible to raise any large
sum from the tenants."
"I fear, Sir Henry," Oswald said, "that the king will be lukewarm on
the subject. During his three invasions, he has never once summoned Sir
Edmund to join him; nor has he passed through Ludlow, as he might well
have done, seeing that it is a central position, and the nearest way
for an army marching towards Plinlimmon. I remarked, too, that when I
mentioned Mortimer's name in my discourse with him, the king's brow
clouded, as if ill pleased at the name."
"Then he acts wrongly," Hotspur said angrily. "Mortimer has given no
cause for offence. He has never, in any way, upheld the cause of the
young Earl of March; and knows, well enough, that it would be madness
to set up his claim to the throne, when Henry has given no cause for
complaint, and that the boy's existence seems to be well-nigh forgotten
by the country.
"However, as soon as this business is over I will, myself, to London;
and will beg the king to exercise the same benevolence, in the case of
Mortimer, as he has shown on behalf of Lord Grey. Why, he might as well
suspect us, to whom he largely owes his kingdom, as Mortimer, seeing
that my wife is aunt to the young earl."
Early in August it became known that preparations were being made, upon
a great scale, by Douglas for the invasion of England; and that, as
Military Governor of Scotland, he had summoned all the great nobles to
join, with their forces; and it was even said that numbers of French
knights were, on account of the long friendship between France and
Scotland, crossing the seas, to fight under Douglas against their old
enemies.
"Methinks," Hotspur said to his knights, "there can be little doubt
that there is an agreement between Scotland and Glendower; and this
would account for the fury the Welshmen have been showing, and the
manner in which they have destroyed the cathedrals, churches, and
castles alike; and so forced Henry to march against them, with the
forces of the greater part of England, just when Douglas is preparing
to assail us here.
"The forces of Westmoreland, Cumberland, Durham, and Northumberland, if
together, might hope to make a stout resistance, even against so large
a force as Douglas is collecting; but we cannot so gather. The Earl of
Westmoreland, who commands the forces of his own county and Cumberland,
must needs hold them together; lest the Scots pour down, besiege
Carlisle, and carry fire and sword through those counties.
"From here up to Berwick the country has been so plundered, and
devastated, that it is almost a desert; and I can draw no strength from
there. As to Durham, they urge, and with some truth that, as the Scots
have, before now, laid portions of their county waste, they cannot send
their forces so far north as this place; as it would leave them
unprotected, should the enemy march through Tynedale into their county.
"The king has entered Wales with the fighting men of thirty-four
counties, so from him no aid can be expected; and it seems to me that
we shall be quite unable to make head against the invasion; though
assuredly, when we have gathered our forces, and are joined by those
Dunbar will bring us, we will meet them as they return, spoil laden, to
the border."
Well-mounted messengers had been placed on every road by which the
Scots could cross the border; and on the 18th of August, one came with
the news that, twelve hours before, they had crossed into Cumberland at
Kirksop Foot; that they were reported to be ten thousand strong; and
that a dozen villages were already in flames. Another portion of their
army had crossed near Tynehead, and were pouring into Tynedale.
John Forster and his wife had arrived, some days before. Oswald had
found comfortable lodgings for his mother in the town, which was
already crowded with women and children from the border. His father had
left again, at once; but returned, with twenty spears, twelve hours
after the messenger had brought the news.
"I had two or three of my men out," he said to Oswald, as he rode in
and dismounted in the castle yard; "but as soon as I heard that the
Scots had entered Tynedale, I knew that it was time to be off, for they
are sure to send over strong parties to ravage Coquetdale. The road was
well-nigh blocked, in some places, with fugitives. In spite of the
warnings that have been issued, most of the people seem to have thought
that the Scots could never come in their direction, and the news has
caused a panic.
"However, near the border the Scots will find but little plunder. We
have had so many invasions that no man is foolish enough to spend money
on aught that he cannot easily carry away, and the raiders will, there,
find but empty houses. They may sweep in some of the cattle from the
hills, to supply them with food on their march; but more than this they
will not take, as they go south, as it would be but an encumbrance."
In a few days a strong force was collected at Alnwick; but, though
chafing at the news of the terrible devastations, that were being made
by the Scots in Cumberland and Durham, the Earl and Hotspur could, at
present, do nothing. The invasion was, indeed, one of the most
disastrous that had ever taken place; and after having almost
devastated the two counties, Douglas, with the united force, and an
enormous train of waggons laden with plunder, great quantities of
cattle, and other spoil, turned north again, at the end of the second
week of September.
In the meanwhile, Percy's force had been steadily growing. He had early
resolved that upon the return of the Scots the battle must be fought,
and contented himself with sending small bodies, of well-mounted
knights and horsemen, to hover in the neighbourhood of the Scotch army;
and to keep him informed of their intentions, and the route they seemed
disposed to take.
Douglas had carried his devastations up to the walls of Newcastle, but
had not attempted to attack that strongly-defended town. He had,
indeed, gathered as much spoil as could possibly be taken along; and he
moved north in a quiet and leisurely way, being greatly hampered by the
enormous train of loaded waggons.
As soon as the Earl of Northumberland and his son saw that he intended
to march up through Northumberland, instead of returning by the line
that he had come through Tynedale, they set their force in motion and
marched out; leaving a sufficient strength to hold Alnwick, should
Douglas attack it. Being joined, two days later, by the Earl of Dunbar,
they posted themselves in a position whence they could march to
intercept the Scots, upon any road they might follow on their way
north.
On the 12th, they learned for certain that the Scots were following the
road that would take them through Wooler. Moving instantly, the Earl
with his forces came up to them, posted on a hill, a mile to the
northwest of Homildon. He at once seized a hill facing it, and disposed
his knights, men-at-arms, and spearmen along the crest.
Hotspur would straightway have charged down, and attacked the Scots in
their position; but Dunbar put his hand on his bridle, and urged him,
strongly, to await the assault; and to provoke the Scots into taking
the offensive by galling them with his archers, in which he was far
superior to them; while, on the other hand, they were much stronger in
spears and horsemen.
Hotspur, seeing the goodness of the advice, assented to it; and ordered
the archers to descend, at once, into the valley between the two hills;
and to launch their arrows against the Scots. On descending, it was
found that the Scottish bowmen were already in the valley. These they
speedily drove up the hill, and then sent their arrows thick and fast
among the Scottish men-at-arms.
Douglas had, like the Earl of Dunbar, perceived at what disadvantage
the party who took the offensive would have to fight; and had
determined to stand on the defensive, especially as, if he moved
forward, the English could detach bodies of horsemen to work round the
hill, and fall upon his immense train of waggons.
For a time, he refused to accede to the earnest entreaties of his
knights to advance. But as man after man fell under the English arrows,
their impatience increased; until one of his best knights, Sir John
Swinton, rode a few paces out of the ranks, and in a loud voice said:
"My brave comrades, what fascinates you today, that you stand like deer
and fawns in a park to be shot; instead of showing your ancient valour,
and meeting your foes hand to hand? Let those who will descend with me
and, in the name of God, we will break that host and conquer; or if
not, we will at least die with honour, like soldiers."
A mighty shout followed his words, and the whole Scottish host dashed
down the hill. The English archers fell back a little, still shooting
as they did so; but halted a short way up the hill, and shot so hotly
and strongly that they pierced helmet and armour with their arrows.
Nothing could withstand these missiles, shot by the finest and
strongest bowmen in the world. The Scots rolled over in heaps. Douglas,
although clad in the most perfect steel armour, was wounded in five
places, one arrow destroying the sight of one of his eyes. He fell from
his horse, and utter confusion reigned in the Scottish ranks.
Swinging their bows behind them, the archers drew their axes and rushed
into the crowd, effecting a terrible slaughter. Douglas was made
prisoner, as was the Earl of Fife, a son of the Regent Albany, the
Earls of Moray and Angus and Orkney. Two barons, eighty knights, among
whom were several Frenchmen, and several other persons of rank were
also captured; while Swinton, Gordon, and many other knights and
gentlemen were slain, together with seven hundred of the commonalty.
With the exception only of Flodden, no battle on the Border was so
fatal to the Scottish nobility, whose defeat was effected by the
archers only.
The confusion was so terrible that the Earl of Northumberland refused
to allow his knights and men-at-arms to charge, seeing that they must
trample down both friend and foe; therefore they stood as passive
spectators of the desperate fight, not a lance being couched nor a blow
struck by any of them. When all was over they took up the pursuit of
the fugitives; many of these were overtaken and killed, and the pursuit
was continued to the Tweed, where, not knowing the fords, many of the
fugitives were drowned while endeavouring to swim the river.
"Roger, what say you to that?" Oswald asked, as he and his squire drew
rein, after pursuing the enemy for some distance.
Roger's face expressed the strongest disgust.
"Well, Sir Oswald, I don't call it a battle, at all. Who ever heard of
a battle where neither knight nor man-at-arms drew sword? 'Tis out of
all reason to fight in that manner."
"Nevertheless, Roger, as we have won a great victory, what matter is it
whether we or the archers bore the chief hand in it? The last battle we
fought in was a different matter. We had plenty of fighting, but no
victory."
"It was more to my taste, nevertheless," Roger grumbled, "even though
the Welsh well nigh made an end of me; and, for myself, I could not
help hoping that the archers would be beaten, and leave it to us to
take our part in the fighting. They had done more than their share when
they had broken the Scottish ranks, and slain I know not how many; and
it would have been fair of them, after that, to draw back, and leave it
to us to finish the business."
"'Tis well as it is, Roger, and for one I am well satisfied. We have
given the Scots a lesson that will keep them quiet for a long time. We
have recovered all the spoil they were carrying off, and we could have
won nothing more, had we been in the thick of the melee, and come out
of it, perhaps, sorely wounded again."
Roger, however, was by no means satisfied; and, to the end of his life,
always fell into a bad temper when the battle of Homildon was spoken
of.
All the prisoners of consequence were taken to Alnwick, where the army
fell back; much to the disgust of some of the more eager spirits, who
would fain have crossed the frontier, and made reprisals for the woes
the Scots had inflicted. Northumberland, however, was well satisfied
with what had been won, and did not wish to provoke the Scots to
extremities; feeling that with so many of their leaders in his hands,
he might be able to arrange terms that would ensure peace, for a
considerable time, on the border.
The prisoners were all treated with great kindness and consideration.
They were lodged in the castle, and were treated as guests rather than
as prisoners.
Oswald and his father were both pleased to hear, two days after the
battle, that when the Scottish dead were examined, the bodies of
William Baird and ten of his kinsmen were found, lying together. They
had resisted desperately to the last, refusing to surrender themselves;
well knowing that their misdeeds and many depredations, in England,
would bring them to the gallows, if taken alive.
"Well, Father, we shall be able to live in peace for a time, now. No
doubt the Bairds have brought with them every spear they could muster,
for none would willingly have stayed at home, when there was a promise
of gathering so much booty; therefore their strength must be altogether
broken, and it will be long, indeed, before the Bairds ride in a raid
into Northumberland."
His father nodded.
"'Tis a good thing, Oswald, assuredly; though I would rather that we
had had the attacking of them in their own hold. Still, at any rate,
there is an end of the feud for years to come; and I shall be able to
lie down to sleep, without wondering whether they will be knocking at
the gate, before morning."